Well. On Christmas Eve I just had to start a new build and it took until today to try it out. Kind of a new record. You may call me Mr Slowly too.
The first mandatory shot takenSome sloppy setup for the plunge routerChristmas outside the houseStem pieces to make a nice rounded bow and sternWho put the puzzle there
Went and bought another oak plank.
Deck beams and formsHeavy (oak) shit dudeThe Beetles had their partyRipping it with a headlight on
Stems, steambending, keel and stringers.
Tried ribs with grooves to control the bend. Kinda worked.Tried ribs with grooves to control the bend. Kinda worked.Keel done, stringers ongoing
Starting to look like a kayak.
Approximately 7kgOne can not have too many clampsOne can not have too many clampsMeanwhile, outsideMaking masiksEnded up with three masiksLooks like an abomination but the kayak is really flat and lowA "gull-wing" extra masikComparison to my East greenland qajaqA nice ass
Had only brown oilStem platesMostly a joke but might stabilize the stem
Sewing the "skin".
Better cover up dear, it's cold outside!One last lookFinished outside. Cold, wet and relaxed.Just messin ' with tarred thin string
Just a quick coaming while sewing...
It's messy bending double coaming lipsI had some hand-forged looking copper nailsTadaa!Now would be the time to consider no colorI love this stage
The coating disaster.
First layerSecond layerDay two and most of it came offDay 3-4Day 5
After giving up I acetoned the shit out of the skin. The qajaq's and mineThe resultOther sideAfter consulting with my supplierIt still mostly came offand settled after 5 daysYayy...kind of hard to save this aesthetically
More layers and then waitawhile. It took a layer at least 3 days to settle and one week to become non-sticky.
Slowly covering up with a 50-50 mix of old and new PU. I leave it nice and glossy and come back to this every time.
One month laterI invented a whole library of cursesBut sometimes you just have to roll with itThe lines seem standard but she is quite low and wideShe didn't sink
And then finally... a qajaq which took me exactly 3 months to finish. It weighs 11kg, is 51cm wide and 503cm long. Will post more info and vids when I have them.
With this transparency one sees the labour put into the frame. Photo by Karin Å.Photo by Karin Å.
This would-be rolling beauty actually paddles really well! She's quite stable, has great secondary stability and has almost no wind-cocking tendencies. If my East Greenland kayak is a 2+ in stability out of 5 (and I use it as my everyday-kayak), this one is a 3+ or more if your weight is less than 80 kg.
However, you will have a hard time fitting anything larger than a small drinking bottle and a pair of gloves in it, let alone myself. For the first paddle I had to take my shoes off to fit inside!
I'm ok with 11,2 kg fully equipped or just over 24 lbs for a playful kayak which rolls, tracks and steers well. To top it off it's probably the most stable kayak I've built! Packing one's daypack is an issue though :) Another trait is that she's a little reluctant to do forward finishing rolls, at least the harder ones. Hmmm, maybe I need to caress her and practice more? Most likely...or build another one when the first infatuation is gone? Don't tell her!
She is 51cm wide and 503cm tall. I will call her Nila. An easy name to remeber and it means blue or dark blue in Sanskrit.